Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves
| Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves (NT1413) | |
|---|---|
Mangroves in the Guayaquil Historical Park
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| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Mangroves |
| Geography | |
| Area | 3,400 km2 (1,300 sq mi) |
| Countries | Ecuador, Peru |
| Coordinates | 2°34′01″S 79°45′36″W / 2.567°S 79.760°WCoordinates: 2°34′01″S 79°45′36″W / 2.567°S 79.760°W |
The Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves (NT1413) are an ecoregion located in the Gulf of Guayaquil in South America, in northern Peru and southern Ecuador. It has an area of 3,300 km² (1300 sq mi).
The mangroves are found between Ecuador and Peru where many rivers empty into the Pacific and the Gulf of Guayaquil. They fringe the Gulf of Guayaquil and the northwestern Pacific Coast of Peru near Tumbes. They cover an area of 1,300 square miles (3,400 km2). Inland the mangroves transition into areas of Ecuadorian dry forests, Western Ecuador moist forests and in the south the Tumbes-Piura dry forests, which extend into Peru.
The Gulf of Guayaquil is the largest estuary ecosystem on South America's Pacific coast. The flat land and high tides result in salt water moving far up the gulf. Average annual rainfall is 600 millimetres (24 in), but in some years may be as much as 3,800 millimetres (150 in).
The ecoregion is part of the Panama Bight Mangroves, a Global ecoregion, which contains the Gulf of Panama mangroves, Esmeraldes-Pacific Colombia mangroves, Manabí mangroves and Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves.
The ecoregion contains plant formations of mangrove (Rhizophora spp.) forest that are adapted to permanently flooded conditions and the resulting environments, which offer little available oxygen.
The Tumbes River is the southern limit for some mangrove species.
There 13 mammal and reptile species, including the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) at its southern limit. There are more than 40 species of birds including the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), white-necked heron (Ardea pacifica), great egret (Ardea alba), American white ibis (Eudocimus albus), roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), white-winged guan (Penelope albipennis) and horned screamer (Anhima cornuta).
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Wikipedia